Big cats and underdogs

rugby365.com reporter Michael de Vries takes a look at the contrasting styles of coaching being employed by the Lions and Cheetahs – two struggling South African franchises – both with limited player resources, but vastly different financial backing.

The fortunes of the bottom two teams in the South African conference this season make for an interesting study in the different approaches to managing a team of ‘underdogs’.

It is no secret that the Cheetahs and the Lions do not have the same number of stars as the other three South African Super Rugby teams, but that seems to be where the similarities end.

The Cheetahs’ season started in crisis mode as they went through five captains in almost as many weeks. Springboks Juan Smith and Adriaan Strauss were the first two to be struck down whilst donning the seemingly tainted armband in what were not only massive losses in terms of leadership but also major knocks to their shallow playing resources.

The Cheetahs then went to Sydney and recorded their first-ever victory in Australia when they downed the Waratahs, but that win came at a price as new skipper Andries Strauss was ruled out for the rest of the season.

The team from Bloemfontein suffered a couple of gutsy close losses on tour but their attacking instinct has been rewarded in the last few matches with two big wins in which they have impressed with an attractive brand of rugby, although serious question marks about their defence remain.

The Lions seemed to have a bigger and louder pre-season than any other Super Rugby side. New coach John Mitchell had a fat chequebook and rumours of big name signings were frequent. Hard-nosed Mitchell was whipping the team with the worst-ever Super Rugby season into a competitive unit.

They also started the season fairly brightly and shook a two-year old monkey off their backs by beating the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. However, for all that promise the Lions have shown a distinct lack of killer instinct – something that has increasingly frustrated their straight-talking coach.

The former All Blacks boss, in an apparent attempt to jolt his stuttering team into action, decided to publicly criticise his players and was reported to have requested more money in order to upgrade.

Both teams experienced difficult situations this season and it is interesting to note that the Cheetahs have made just one, injury-enforced, change for this week whilst the Lions have made 10. Naka Drotské has shown a lot of faith in his players, but what has perhaps been more important is the way that he has handled his team’s close losses.

His assistant, Hawies Fourie, explained to rugby365.com: “One must compliment Naka on that – he kept his cool and focused on the positives.

“When the guys needed a wake-up call he gave it to them, but I think he handled the situation really well and told the guys that it was our best tour since we started playing Super Rugby.”

It actually was their best tour to be honest but they also came back to South Africa and have been scoring tries at will, with an amazing amount of confidence.

The Lions on the other hand seem as though they might implode if the arrival of Butch ‘the Redeemer’ James does not get them a couple of wins.

The Cheetahs play with a lot of freedom, they look to keep the ball alive for as long as possible and their support running is enthusiastic.

The Lions started the season with a playing philosophy, but look more and more like a team that is desperate for a win at any cost.

Player management is a key aspect of the game and although they are professionals it is still a team environment. No-one expected the Highlanders to start the season in the way that they did but Jamie Joseph has clearly got full commitment from all of his players and they have been highly competitive.

The Lions are on tour without having won once at home so it will take a massive effort to turn things around on the road and it will be particularly interesting to note how their coach goes about it.

The Cheetahs look like they have a few more big performances up their sleeve this season and seem to be every neutral’s favourite.

Which camp would you rather be in?